Ticket applying machine



June 17, 1947. E. c. HAKE TICKET APPLYING MACHINE Filed Feb. 1, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet Jaw INVENTOR. E/mex C flame B v WW Afiys.

June 17, 1947. E. c; HAKE 2,422,543

TICKET APPLYING MACHINE Filed Feb. 1, 1943 3 Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR, E/mer C fia/fe B W WW2 N A figs.

June 17, 1947. Q HAKE' TICKET APPLYING MACHINE Filed Feb. 1-, 1943 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR, Heme Patented June 17, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TICKET APPLYING MACHINE Elmer C. Hake, Covington, Ky., assi nor, by inesne assignments, to Spray-Omatic Products Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporat on of Ohm Application February 1, 1943, Serial No.474,376

Claims.

This invention relates to a ticket applying machine, that is, .a machine adapted to accomplish the application of tickets successively to papers or sheets introduced into the machine. The device of the invention is designed to operate in conjunction with a special form of ticket, herein disclosed, which may be a price tag or some other type of identifying ticket to be detachably applied to the margins of cards, sheets, or similar objects. By way of example, Fig. 10 illustrates a ticket in the form of a price tag applied over the edges of two fiat sheets held together by said ticket, which sheets might conceivably be a card and an envelope therefor, or perhaps a plurality of cards. A single sheet or card, of course, might be similarly marked or identified by the tag or ticket.

An object of the invention is to expedite and facilitate the application of tickets or tags to sheet-like articles as a rapid continuous operation.

Another object of the invention is to produce ,a machine of the character stated, which is simple, inexpensive, and dependable in the performance of its operations, so that long periods of troublefree service are assured with a minimum of expense and servicing.

Another object is to reduce to a minimum the number of moving parts in a machine of the character disclosed, for the attainment of various obvious advantages including ease of operation and simplicity in the charging of the machine with tickets when the supply is exhausted.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is aside elevational view of the ticket applying machine, part of the ticket reel being broken away.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line -22 of Fig. ,3.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1. Parts being broken away in the interest of clarity of disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a guard.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a presser element.

6 is a perspective view of a ticket .feed ui 7 V 7 Fig.7 is a perspective View of a cut-oil memher. I

Fig. ,8 is a side view of a stripof tickets of the typ ac omm da ed y th ma i at th "invention.

Fig. 9 is a view looking down on Fig. showing the ticket strip in plan.

Fig. 1c is a fragmental plan view of two sheets or cards, with a ticket attached thereto by means of the machine herein disclosed.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view similar tofi 2, but with the guard omitted, showing the manne in which tickets are fed in the ma hine.

Th tic et applyin machine and t operation may be be t und r tood .fellow ne a description of the tickets themselves, which are of special form is-illu trat d y El ss- 8. l and 1 of the draw n s. comp ete tick t ompnl es a strip o pa e "folded up n its lf a one a line B. to p ovide a short lies 4 and a lo g le 1 dis osed n s bstant a para el sm. th l ss f t t cket bein yieldingly u ed toward each other by means f a u-shaped cl p tha s raddles th f ld line 113 oi the tic et li 1- m y b of metal. plastic.- el u q ic .compfl tion mater a o the like, the character thereoi should be such that it will normally remain asociated with the ss o t e tick nd be suific e tlv y dable to enable the nsert on of a a d. a shee r a limted numb of car s o s e ts t be s rt d etween th l s of th t c et to the extent ndite by ie- 10. It wil be oted th t t hara t rs ii and 1 rep esen two sheets or cards. or p rhaps a card and a envelope. whi h. are he d tog th alone a cm cn dse mar n by m ans of t e ti et bo e descri ed- The common u per ed es f he ards or sheets ll e seen to extend to the line of fold 13 of the thicket. The ip "5 s rves to firmly old the sh ets or cards tween the ticket legs, although it is to be -understood that the t cket may be detached by sim- P y slidin it pwa dl ofi the ma ns of the card or sheets.- .By m ans of suita le indent tions I!) or other frictional expediency, a reasonably secure mounting of the clip relative to the tick t i assure On o t l s such as M may carry suitable indicia, such as a price marking or other identifyin character intended to apply to the she ts o c rds u o the c t i ou t re e ably. though n of ne essi y. th cor rs of the tic at t e ppo te ends o t ol dl n ma :be cut Qfi or oth r i removed as at 20.

In t e o eration :Q the t ck t appl in mane. t c e s c a Hi-arranged in sanu us st i fo m. il us at h 'F es- :8 and 9, are success e y fed to a tation a which a p r man ly dvan es t e em s or s ee between t e ket es unt l th i .10 relationship s a ned, and the ea er a s i ht additional advancement of the cards or sheets effects a severance of the applied ticket from the next adjacent ticket of a group such as Fig. 8 illustrates. Upon completion of the severing operation, the operator merely retracts the cards or sheets with the ticket attached (Fig. 10),. thereby completing the operation. It will be understood that the attachment of price tickets or tags to greeting cards and envelopes therefor, by way of example, may be expeditiously accomplis'hed by the use of the present machine in the hands of a steady operator. V p

As a final remark touching the character of the ticket assembly, it may be noted that the meeting edges, or line of severance 2| between adjacent tickets, preferably is a weakened or partially perforated area, as is best illustrated by Fig. 9. The transverse cuts or slots 2! leave relatively weak connective sections 22 between adjacent tickets. These connective sections are easily severed by the knife or cutter of the machine (Fig.7).

The ticket ap'plyingmachine as illustrated by Figs. land 3, comprises a hollow casing 23 having a top 24 upon which is mounted the ticket guide and cutter mechanism. At the front of the machine a handle 25 may be provided for operating the ticket feed and cutter mechanism. The lever arm 26 and certain linkage associated therewith may be contained within a sheet metal cover 21 which meets the casing 23 along an irregular line 28, and may be attached to said casing by means of screws or the like 29. These casing and cover details are of no particular importance to theinvention, but are referred to i merely because the present form of machine incorporates them. In fact, it is necessary only that some means be provided for pivotally mounting the operating lever, as at 30, and that suitable support be provided for a stationary table 3| and the ticket feeding and cutting means located at the right of the table. r

Referring to page 2 of the drawings, the char- 7 acters'tltii, 34 and 35'illustrate, respectively,

a guar'd, a spring, a ticket guide member, and

a blade =or knife. As may best be seen from Fig. 2, the top of the casing carries a longitudinal'slot 38 through which depends a forwardly 4 blade 35, the connection shown herein being sim--' ply a transverse slot 551 in the holder 46 adapted to receive the turned end 5! of the blade or cutter. The fiat spring 33 overlies the blade or cutter for the purpose of pressing against the latter the succession of tickets, as indicated by Fig, 11. The spring serves to flatten the ticket strip so as to condition the tickets forreception 'of cards or sheets indicated by the characters H and 118 of Fig. 11. It will be noted that the tickets are not so flattened as they advance along the ticket guide 34 before reaching the spring 33. This is plainly indicated by Fig. 1, wherein -a series of tickets is shown leaving a reel or spool 52.

' of'an inverted U-shapedstandard Ed, said guard and rearwardly travelingpost 3'! which is adapted to be moved through the agency of linkage" associated with the'handle lever 26.

The linkage may be of any suitable design, that shown in-Fig. 1 consisting of alien crank 38 pivoted upon the casing of the machine at 39, and hav-- ing its forward end pivoted at lfiupon a short" link 41 that is loosely pinned at 152 upon the handleleveh' The upstanding arm 43 of the bell crank may be pivotally attached to a link -44 loosely pinned to the post 31. The post at at issecurely attached to a reciprocable knife or blade holder 46 which is adapted to slide lengthwise over the slot 36 of the casing.

By referring to Fig. 1, it will be understood that an elevating movement of handle 26 to its.

upper limit of travel, indicated at t'L'which is the'upper end of a slot formed in the cover 21, will move the bell crank 33 in clockwise direction about its pivot '39, to shift the post 31 and its'associat'ed blade holder 45 to the right, so thatthe'blade 35 will be retracted away from the fee'dtabletl; A suitable' 'top' plate 53 se- 'cured to the top of the casing furnishes'a channel 49 in whichfthe butter or knife assembly may reciprocate. Any suitable type of connection may be made betweenthe blade holder liiand the having depending opposed aprons 55 adapted to rest upon the opposed anchorage plates Fat-$8 of the ticket guide member 34, under normal operating conditions. Forwardly of the. aprons, the guard has a pair of-spaced parallel side portions 5'l5l, the lower edges 58 of which serve as tracks to guide the sheets or cards between the legs of the tickets when the sheets orcards are advanced along the stationary feed table 31. The track edges 58 depend slightly beneath the level of the blade 35, as illustrated by Figs. I and 2, and while the guard is omitted from Fig. 11, it will readily be understood that the track edges ofthe guard will guide the advancing edges of cards or sheets H and I8 beneath the blade and between the legs of the foremost ticket. Thus, no ticket other than the foremost one may be contacted by the cards or sheets fed toward the blade by an operator stationed at the front of the machine, and manipulating cards or sheets flatwise' along the feed table 3l'in the direction of the cutter. As the operator so feeds the cardsor sheets, the advance edges thereof will enter between the legs of the foremost ticket A until the limit of advancement is attained,

whereupon further force exerted by the operator will cause the cutter to sever the foremost ticket from the next adjacent ticket. The cards or sheets with the ticket attached, may then be retracted along the feed tableby the operator. 50

sembly in the condition illustrated by Fig. 10, it'will be evident from Fig. 11 that the foremost- Upon withdrawing the sheet and ticket asticket there illustrated will be removed from its .position beneath the blade or cutter 35. To bring another ticket into receptive position, the operator will'elevate the handle 25, thereby to move .theflcutter assembly of Fig. 11 to the right a distance sufficient to allow the next ticket B to drop, so that its associated clip will fall beneath the level of the blade 35 while the longer leg I5 of the ticket rests upon the depressed portion 59- of the feed plate. Subsequent lowering of the handle obviously will advanc e'the cutter or blade 35 to the left, over th clip of ticket B, and this ticket will thereupon be advanced to take the place of the foremost ticket previously dispensed. The mechanism is then ready for a subsequent feeding of cards or sheets along the table 3l to repeat the ticket applying operation.

It will accordingly be understoodthat eachticket applying operation must be preceded by an eleranged to normally assume the lowered position amazes 5 indicated by Fig. ,l, at which position the .blade or cutter is fully advanced, :(Fig. 11).

It'may :here be noted that the ticket guide incorporates an abutment at the location 160, and against which may impinge the clip .of a third ticket whenever the blad is retracted, the purpose of this being to preclude retrograde move ment of the ticket strip when the blade is so retracted. A second abutment 14 may be provided, if desired, to limit the advance of the card or sheet, and to finally seat the ticket fully upon the card or sheet margins.

Tickets in the accordian pleated form illustrated by Fig. 8 may be fed along the ticket guide 34 from any suitable source of supply. .As herein illustrated, the ticket strip is wound upon a reel which may .be supported upon a shaft 6| journaled in a bracket 62 which may be fastened .to the rear of the casing by means of a screw 63 .or other fastening means. Each reel may consist of a disc 52 and a hub :64 fastened together as a unit, and several :such units may be mounted for free rotation upon shaft 6|. Fig. 3 shows a series of five reel units, any one of which may be shifted into alignment with the ticket guide 34 for supplying tickets to the machine. Any selected reel may be aligned with the ticket guide by shifting the reels lengthwise of shaft 6!, the

purpose of so doing being to enable the selective feeding of the tickets bearing different price or identification markings. For example, the first reel may carry tickets, the second may carry 10 tickets, the third may carry tickets, etc. The length of shaft 6| should be so calculated that either endmost reel may be aligned with the ticket guide 34. It should be appreciated that the tickets in accordian pleated form will be wound upon .a reel in the same manner as would a strip of fiattickets. The reel will rotate, therefore, .as the tickets are dispensed by the machine.

The mounting of the guard 32 and spring 33 upon the upper end of the standard 54-54 may be accomplished in any suitable manner by means of a pin passing through the upper perforated ends I55 of the standard. Such pin may pass through the eye 66 of thespring and through the perforated cars 53 of the guard. To avoid the need for a separate element to hold the guard down against the mounting flanges 5B of the ticket guide, the pivot for the guard may be made in the form of a U-shaped spring member ,6? having inwardly turned free ends 68-68 adapted to engage in opposed perforation 69 of the aprons 55 .of the guard. These inturned ends 68 also pass through corresponding perforations 10' formed in the sides of the ticket guide so that the guard will be locked to the stationary guide through the agency of the inturned ends 68 of the spring member 61. The transverse connecting portion ll of the spring member furnishes the pivotal mounting for both the guard and the fiat spring .33. Th pivotal mounting for the guard and spring is furnished in order that these parts may be lifted and moved to inoperative position when it becomes necessary or desirable to charge the machine with a new or different strip of tickets. The character 12 indicates a finger piece at the free 'forwardend of the guard, which maybe grasped in lifting the guard and rotating it about its pivot ll for gaining access to the forward end of the ticket guide. As will .be understood, the guard, in order to be so moved to the inoperative position, must be released .by

' wire '6'! from the apertures .59 .of :the guard.

The :parts illustrated byFigs. 4, :5, .6 and 7 are shown in the :relative positions they occupy when assembled, that is, the knife :35 .is operative beneath the ticket guide member of Fig. 36., and the spring .of Fig. .5, pivoted at :65, overlies the forward end .of the guide member. Guard 32 (Fig. 4.), covers the spring and is pivoted likewis at .65. .As previously stated herein, the guard normally is precluded from pivoting, by aligning the opening :53 thereof with the opening 5150 of the guide member, and inserting through the openings the inturnedends of the-anchorelement $1. This sub-assembly, of course, is capable of considerable modification by resorting to mechanical equivalents. Moreover, other changes in details of the device at once suggest themselves, for example, the use :of spring means instead of a weighted handle for returning the handle lever 26 to normal position, .or the substitution of different linkage and operating means therefor. Disposition of the operating lever :to one side of the machine housing, rather than at the front thereof, also .may be considered a change falling within the scope .of the invention.

From all of the foregoing, it should be evident that the ticket applying machine herein disclosed is extremely simple .in construction and operation, and that few moving parts are necessary. The machine is portable, and may easily :beearried with one hand, for use wherever it may be needed. The ticket guide member 34 serves as a carrying handle. In practice, the machine herein disclosed has been used for applying price tickets to greeting cards and envelopes therefor, but as will be obvious, the application of clip-type tickets to sheets or cards for various other pur poses is well within the range or use of the machine.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for applying connected accordian folded tickets each of which includes a fold line and a pair :of legs extending in a common direction from the fold line, the combination which comprises, means for supporting the foremost ticket of a group with the legs of said folded ticket projected toward the front of the machine, said legs being receptive of a fiat object to be advanced therebetween to the fold line of the ticket, cutting means normally held stationary between the foremost ticket and a subsequent ticket of the group as the fiat object is .so advanced, to sever the connection between the foremost ticket and the next adjacent ticket upon continued advancement of the fiat object in the direction of the ticket fold line, and means for momentarily retracting the cutting means after removal of the flat object and the severed ticket, to permit replacement of said ticket by a subse- 'quent ticket of the g oup- 2. In a machine for applying connected accordian folded tickets each of which includes a fold line and a pair :of legs extending in a'common direction from the fold line, the combination which comprises, means for supporting the foremost ticket of :a group with the legs of said folded ticket projected toward the front of the machine, said legs being receptive of a fiat object .to be advanced therebetween to the fold line of the ticket, reciprocable means normally held stationary between the foremost ticket anda subsequent ticket of the-group as the flat object is so advanced, to sever the connection between the ioremost ticket and the next adjacent ticket upon continued advancement of the flat objectin the Jcordian folded tickets each of which includes a.

fold line and a pair of legs extending in a commondirection from the fold line, the combination which comprises, means for supporting the foremost ticket of a group with the legs of said folded ticket projected toward the front of the machine, said'legs being receptive of a flat object to be advanced therebetween to the fold line of I the ticket, reciprocable means normally held stationary as the flat object is so advanced, to sever the connection between the foremost ticket and the next adjacent ticket .upon continued advancement'of the fiat object in the direction of the ticket fold line, means for reciprocating said normally stationary severing means, to advance the next adjacent ticket into position for reception of a subsequent flat object between the legs thereof, and means recluding retrograde movement of the group of tickets during reciprocation of said normally stationary means.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a substantially flat severing member normally extended, and means pressing onto ticket of the group, to displace the face thereof 7 from supporting relationship with said foremost ticket, whereby said ticket drops to proximity with the stationary support in position to receive 7 the sheet between the legs thereof, and abutment means adjacent to, the severing member for engaging the fold edgeof an adjacent ticket to preclude retrograde movement of the ticket as 'the severing member is retracted, the severing member when returned to the normally extended position passing over the dropped ticket and into supporting relationship with the next adjacent ticket.

5. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of. a substantially flat severing member normally extended, and means pressing onto one face of said severing member a folded ticket of a group of connected tickets each of which includes a fold line and a pair of legs-extending in a common direction from the fold line,'a stationary support beneath the plane of the severing member to underlie a sheet to be. advanced toward the severing member, and means for retracting the severing member to displace the face thereof from a normal supporting relationship with said folded ticket, whereby said ticket drops to proximity with the stationarysupport in position to receive the sheet between the legs thereof.

6. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a substantially flat severing mem-' ber, normally-extended, and means pressing onto one face of said severing member a folded ticket of agroup of connected tickets each of which includes a fold line anda pair of legs extending .ina common direction from the fold line, a sta- "tionary support beneath the plane of the sever-' ing member to underlie'a sheet to' be advanced toward the severingmember, means for retracting the severing member to displace the face I thereof from a normal supporting relationship with said folded ticket, whereby said ticket drops to proximitywith the stationary support in position to receive the sheet between the legs there- 'of, the severing member when returned to the normally extended position passing over the dropped ticket and into sup-porting relationship with the next adjacent'ticket. a

'7. In a'machine of the class described, the combination of a substantially flat severing member normally extended, and means normally pressing onto one face Qf'said severing member a folded ticket of a group of connected. tickets each of which includes a fold line and a pair of legs of unequal length extending in a common di-- rection from the fold lineto'accept a sheet advanced therebetweema support beneath the severing member and spaced therefrom to provide a surface upon which the longer leg of the ticket may rest while the shorter leg and the fold underlie the severing member in position toaccept said sheet-and while the longer'leg of a next adjacent ticket rests normally over and upon the severing member, and means for ;momentarily retracting the severing member from supportive relationship with said last mentioned'longer -leg of said next adjacent ticket, after removal of: the ticket first mentioned; to position the legs of said next adjacent ticket for reception-of another sheet to be advanced therebetween as above stated.-

'8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a substantially flat severing member normally extended, and means normally'pressing onto one face of said severing member a folded ticket of a group of connected tickets each of which includes a fold line and a pair-of legsof V a unequal length extending in a common direction from the fold line'to accept a sheet advanced face upon which the longer leg of the ticket may rest while the shorter leg and the fold underlie the severing member in position to accept said sheet, and while the longer leg of a next ad-' jacent ticket rests normally over and upon the severingmember, means operative after removal of the ticket first mentioned, for momentarily retracting the severing member from supportive relationship with the last' mentioned longer leg of said next adjacent ticket,,and means substantially precluding retrograde movement of said next adjacent ticket incident to retraction of the severing member, while allowing the longer leg of said next adjacent ticket to drop onto the support to replace the ticket previously removed.

9. In combination in a machine for applying connected accordion folded tickets each of which includes a fold line and a pair of legs extending in a common direction from the fold line, said legs being receptive of a flat object to be advanced therebetween to the fold line of the ticket, cutting means normally held stationary between the foremost ticket and a subsequent ticket of a group as the flat object is so advanced, to sever theconnec tion between the foremost ticket and the next adjacent ticket upon continued advancement of the flat object in the direction of the ticket" fold line,

and means for normally 'retractingthe cutting 10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a substantially flat severing member normally extended, and means normally pressing onto one face of said severing member a folded ticket of a group of connected tickets each of which includes a fold line and a pair of legs of unequal length extending in a common direction from the fold line to accept a sheet advanced therebetween, the shorter leg of the foremost ticket underlying the severing member While the longer leg of a subsequent ticket overlies the severing member, means operative after removal of the foremost ticket for normally retracting the severing member from supportive relationship with the longer leg of said next adjacent ticket, and means substantially precluding retrograde movement of said next adjacent ticket incident 10 to retraction of the severing member, while allowing the longer leg of said next adjacent ticket to drop to a level beneath the plane of the severing member.

ELMER C. HAKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,443,090 Peters Jan. 23, 1923 15 2,176,116 Baetzhold et a1 Oct. 1'7, 1939 2,298,451 Balthasar Oct. 13, 1942 2,282,245 Ratley May 5, 1942 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,422,543. June 17, 1947.

ELMER O. HAKE It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Column 7 line 3, claim 2, for securing read severing; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this ggirection therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Signed and sealed this 19th day of August, A. D. 1947.

LESLIE FRAZER,

First Assistant Commissioner 0 f Patents. 

